One of the most sampled tunes in pop history, Chic’s 1979 hit Good Times was quickly appropriated to form the basis of the Sugarhill Gang’s prototype hip-hop classic Rapper’s Delight. The hooky bassline was reused by Queen on Another One Bites the Dust, and elements have been recycled by Grandmaster Flash, The Cure, Beastie Boys and Daft Punk.

Rodgers and Edwards used every musical trick they could think of in this US chart-topper to get the attention of New York’s DJs. “Chic songs don’t sound like anybody else,” according to Rodgers. “To most artists, the chorus is the payoff, but we thought if it’s so good, why don’t we just give it to you straight away? Why don’t we just go ‘1 -2 awwwww … Freak Out! Or ‘de-de-de-d-e Good Times!’ By starting the song with that hook it almost guaranteed us a place on somebody’s playlist. We always put some little trick on the very top, the glissando on the piano on the front of Good Times, that’s calculated stuff.”